Israeli forces launched a fresh wave of attacks on central Gaza on Sunday, following a daring hostage rescue operation that claimed the lives of 274 Palestinians the day before.
Reports from residents and media sources indicated that tanks also rolled into additional areas of Rafah, aiming to secure segments of the southern city.
Palestinian medics expressed profound shock at the staggering death toll on Saturday, which included numerous women and children.
On Sunday, the Gaza health ministry revised the casualty figures, stating that 274 Palestinians had been killed and 698 injured during the Israeli special forces’ incursion into the densely populated Al-Nuseirat camp to liberate four hostages held by Hamas since October.
Israel’s military confirmed the loss of a special forces officer during clashes with Hamas but contested the casualty count, asserting awareness of fewer than 100 Palestinians killed and an inability to ascertain the breakdown between militants and civilians.
Further violence erupted on Sunday, marked by an Israeli airstrike on a house in Al-Bureij that claimed three Palestinian lives and left several injured. Tank shelling also targeted sections of nearby Al-Maghazi and Al-Nuseirat refugee camps.
The Israeli military sustained its operations east of Bureij and the city of Deir al-Balah, targeting Palestinian gunmen and militant infrastructure.
The incursion into Rafah, which commenced in May with the objective of neutralizing remaining combat units, has triggered widespread displacement, with approximately one million people fleeing the city.
Israeli tanks pressed into two new districts of Rafah on Sunday, escalating confrontations with armed groups aligned with Hamas.
According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the majority of displaced individuals who sought sanctuary in eastern Rafah have now relocated.
As efforts to broker a ceasefire falter amid entrenched positions from both Israeli and militant factions, the ongoing violence in Gaza carries broader implications for regional stability, drawing in actors such as Iran and Hezbollah and prompting concerns about the escalation of hostilities into a wider conflict.